Tetradontiformes : The Hawaiian Reef Fish

By: Jeremy Shields, Lauren Switzer, Megan Lamrock

Triggerfish (Balistidae)

• Body shape• Color patterns• Special spines• State fish of Hawaii

Hawaiian Triggerfish

• Lagoon Triggerfish(Rhinecanthus aculeatus)

• Reef Triggerfish(Rhinecanthus rectangulus)

• Pinktail Triggerfish(Melichthys vidua)

Hawaiian Triggerfish

• Black Triggerfish(Melichthys niger)

• Lei Triggerfish(Sufflamen bursa)

• Bridled Triggerfish(Sufflamen fraenatum)

Hawaiian Triggerfish

• Gilded Triggerfish(Xanthichthys auromarginatus)

• Crosshatch Triggerfish(Xanthichthys mento)

• Bluelined Triggerfish(Xanthichthys caeruleolineatus)

• Finescaled Triggerfish(Balistes polylepis)

Filefish (Monacanthidae)

• Body shape• Spines• Skin appearance

Hawaiian Filefish

• Scrawled Filefish(Aluterus scriptus)

• Unicorn Filefish(Aluterus monoceros)

• Barred Filefish(Cantherhines dumerilii)

Hawaiian Filefish

• Squaretail Filefish(Cantherhines sandwichiensis)

• Shy Filefish(Cantherhines verecundus)

• Fantail Filefish(Pervagor spilosoma)

• Yellowtail Filefish(Pervagor aspricaudus)

Boxfish (Ostraciidae)

• Body shape• Appearance• Ostracitoxin

Hawaiian Boxfish

• Spotted Boxfish(Ostracion meleagris)

• Whitley’s Boxfish(Ostracion whitleyi)

Pufferfish (Tetradontidae)

• Body shape• Appearance• Tetraodotoxin• Expandable stomachs

Hawaiian Pufferfish

• Stripebelly Pufferfish(Arothron hispidus)

• Spotted Pufferfish(Arothron meleagris)

• Ambon Pufferfish(Canthigaster amboinensis)

Hawaiian Pufferfish

• Hawaiian White Spotted Pufferfish(Canthigaster jactator)

• Lantern Pufferfish(Canthigaster epilampra)

• Maze Pufferfish(Canthigaster rivulata)

Hawaiian Pufferfish

• Crown Pufferfish(Canthigaster coronata)

• Floral Pufferfish(Torquigener florealis)

• Randall’s Pufferfish(Torquigener randalli)

Habitats of the Hawaiian Tetraodontiformes

• Triggerfish– Pelagic to semipalagic

• Filefish– Juvenilles– Adults• Varies by species

http://hawkebackpacking.com/hawaii_snorkeling.html

Habitats of the Hawaiian Tetraodontiformes

• Boxfish– Coral/rocky, shallow reefs

• Pufferfish– Reefs– Open Ocean

Clark Little

Dietary Specializations of the Hawaiian Tetraodontiformes• Triggerfish– Wide Range– Fused teeth– Blowing water/fin flapping

• Filefish– Benthic invertebrates to zooplankton

Dietary Specializations of the Hawaiian Tetraodontiformes

• Boxfish– Omnivorous

• Pufferfish– Mostly carnivorous– Fused, beak-like teeth• Specialization

Schooling Behaviors• Triggerfish– Usually territorial

• Filefish– Solitary to small groups

• Boxfish– Territorial

• Pufferfish– Solitary to schools

Tetradontiformes Reproduction

• Males / Females • Pelagic • External Fertilization

-Broadcast Fertilization• Mating

Lateral Undulation vs. Dorsal & Ventral Fin

Propulsion

Tetradontiformes Movement

Tetradontiformes Defense

• Thick Plates• Sharpened Spines• Inflation • Poison

Sushi… It’s What’s For Dinner

Tetrodotoxin

Pufferfish Inflation: Functional Morphology of Postcranial Structures in Diodon holocanthus (tetraodontiformes) • Inflation Behavior • Structures that Allow Inflation/

Deflation• Exaptations• Epiphenomena • “True” Adaptations

Why the Blow fish BLOW UP !!

How the Blow Fish Blow UP !

How the Blow Fish Blow UP !

Age and growth of Stephanolepis hispidus in the Canary Islands area

• Purpose– Study growth and estimateage of sampled fish

• Methods – Length frequency distribution– Count growth rings

(Mancera-Rodriguez and Castro-Hernandez, 2003)

Age and growth of Stephanolepis hispidus in the Canary Islands area• Results

(Mancera-Rodriguez and Castro-Hernandez, 2003)

Age and growth of Stephanolepis hispidus in the Canary Islands area• Discussion

(Mancera-Rodriguez and Castro-Hernandez, 2003)

Do Reefs Drive Diversification in Marine Teleosts? Evidence from the Pufferfishes and Their Allies (Order

Tetraodontiformes)

• Purpose:– Determine if reef-association has an effect on

higher rates of diversification.• Methods:– Taxonomic sampling– DNA extraction and comparisons

Do Reefs Drive Diversification in Marine Teleosts?....

Alfaro, Santini, and Brock; 2006

• http://sea.sheddaquarium.org/sea/fact_sheets.asp?id=71

• http://faroutfishingtrips.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/puffer-fish.jpg

• http://www.answers.com/topic/tetraodontidae-2

• http://pandorasboxfish.squarespace.com/storage/pub12.jpg

Citations

Brainerd, E. L. (1994), Pufferfish inflation: Functional morphology of postcranial structures in Diodon holocanthus (Tetraodontiformes). J. Morphol., 220: 243–261. doi: 10.1002/jmor.1052200304